My Food Bag trio eyeing Aussie kitchens

Nadia Lim, left, Theresa Gattung and Cecilia Robinson, right, are in charge of My Food Bag.

Home delivery service My Food Bag is eyeing business in Australia, while leaving its New Zealand branch in the hands of former Telecom chief executive Theresa Gattung.

Group chief executive Cecilia Robinson will move to Sydney initially to help run the Australian branch, with the company looking to launch in Australia by the end of winter.

Gattung, who is a co-founder and chairwoman of My Food Bag and who will take over as New Zealand chief executive, said she was excited by the opportunities for the company.

"When I initially read the business plan I thought, this could really work for busy people, and I saw that it had some complexity about it, but I thought if we could execute it well it would be a concept that would really strike a chord with Kiwis."

Since its launch in March 2013, My Food Bag has grown its customer base to more than 6000 in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington - more than two and a half times as large as its principals predicted it would be after one year. The company is predicted to double in size again over the next 12 months.

Gattung believed the powerful combination of the three main women in charge, including Nadia Lim as well as Robinson, had helped make the company a success.

She said she would focus on continuing the company's growth.

"Growing the brand in New Zealand is a focus point," she said. "We want to expand a bit further and we have other product development in the wings that we want to add to the options, as well as continuing our advertising and campaigns. We've had strong growth so far and we want to continue that growth."

The Australian branch will be based in Sydney, and focus initially on the market in New South Wales, with a view to expand further into Australia in the future, says Robinson.

"We have had sustained growth in New Zealand and we believe we can replicate that success across the Tasman," she said.

"Australia is a significant market and modern communications mean in management terms we can all work as part of a team."

Grub's up

*Firm uses fresh, free-range and, where possible, locally sourced products.
*More than 6000 customers in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington.
*By its one-year anniversary in March had delivered one million dinner kits and more than 60,000 food bags.